Apparatus for discharging and carrying lines for saving life at sea.



APPARATUS FDR DISCHARGING AND CARRYING LINES FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA.

i (Application iled June 25, 1900,! No Model.)

2 Sheets-$heot I.

Patented Mar. 5, |90l.

n. G. MARTENS.

APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING AND CARRYING LINES |508 SAVING LIFE AT SEA.

(Application filed Juil@ 25, 1900.)

2 SheetsSheet 2.

No Model.)

. UNITED STATES PATENT IOEHCE.v

DANIEL GEORGE MARTENS, 0F ooLcHEs'rEE, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FUR DISCHARGING AND CARRYING LINES FOR SAVING LIFE AT SEA.

SPCIFIGATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 669,091. dated March 5, 1901. i vApplication filed June 25, 1900. Serial No. 21,556. (No model.)

vT0 a/Zwhom may concern;

Beit known that I, DANIEL GEORGE MAR- TENS, engineer,a subject of the King of Sweden and Norway, formerly` of Roselands, Broom road, Teddington, in the cou n'ty of Middlesex, but at present residing at l Sussex road, Colchester, in the county of Essex, England, have invented certain new and useful Improve.- ments in Apparatus for Dis'chargiug and Carrying Lines for Saving Life at Sea; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to apparatus for dis-- charging and carrying lines for saving life at sea so constructed as to carry the line to a greater distance than with the apparatus herey 'tofore in use and ,at the same time minimiz- `ing the risk of the breakage of the line by the shock of discharge.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of my improved linedischarging apparatus complete, ready to be discharged by firing. Fig. 2 is a similar view 1 of the breech of the gun and showing part of Aon the line 3 3 0f Fig. 1.

the rocket apparatus on an enlarged scale. Fig.- 3` is an enlarged vertical section taken Fig. 4 is an under side plan of the forward or line-carrying'part of theapparats shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 5

" is an enlarged detail view showing in section part of the lock-spring between the rocket and the outer tube.

The same letters of reference Where they occurare used to denote the same or corresponding parts in all the iigures'of the-drawings.

The line discharging and carrying apparatus which forms the subject of thisinvention comprises a gun B, having a muzzle prolongation B', of slightly larger internal diameter, as shown at b in Fig. 1, and provided with three longitudinal slots b to receive the wings orblades D and the web F of the line-carrying tube C, (seerlig. 3,) so as to hold the said tube until the rocket is inserted therein and the air-pressure between the rocket, and the tube C isfgreat enough to force the line-carrying tube() out of the gun.

The gun B is fitted4 with the usual firing mechanism-g for the explosive G, which lat-' ter wb'enlired acts on the wad-base y, which is a compressible wadding between the ro'cket A and the explosive G and which fits the bore of the gun B. The rocket A also fits the bore of the gun B and telescopes into the line-carrying tube C., The vfiring. of the explosive G causes the rocket A to enter the line-carrying tube C, and the latter is projected out of the gun by means of the rocket A. Simultaneously the heat of the explosion has heated the tube y', one end of which is closed and secured to the Wad-base y, while the other end is open to the interior of the rocket A, which is line'd inside with a layer of asbestos A'. (See Fig. 2,.) This tube y contains `gunpowder or other substance or I nixture y, adapted to be exploded by heat,

of the gunpowder or other explosive ys in-the tube 'y'. Consequently the. heat evolved by the firing of the gun explosive G heats the tube y', thereby firingthe explosive g3, which latter fires theexplosive in the rocket A'. By this means no escape of the gases developed by the firing of the explosive G can. occur.

A'lhe rocket therefore has. two successive ,im-

pulses given to it. The first, that of the gun explosive G, drives it .out of the gun .and partly into the line-carrying tube C, and the second, that of its own explosive, drives it farther into vthe line-carrying` tubes C, in the manner to be hereinafter explained. The line-carrying tube C tits into the dialneter' of the gun-muzzle prolongation -B and is provided with a spring-controlled safetyvalve K, two lateral wings or blades D, and a downwardly-projecting vertical web F. (See Fig. 3.) These wings D and .the web F lit into the longitudinal slotsb in the muzzle rolou ation B', as shown in Fig. 3, and the 4 P g web F carries a fixed rod or piston m, secured `to the part f ol said web, (see Fig. 1,) over which rod or piston m slides a cylinder l, onto which is formed or secured. a piecefn.. To this piece a the end of the line is secured, and the cylinder Z is inclosed in an outer or guide tube fast to the web F and provided with aslot underneath, through which 4the piece n protrudes. '(See Fig. 3.)

'lhe forwardendof the rocket A is partly ico" inserted in the rear end ofthe line-carrying tube C and carries a rubber or other washer or the like device h for eecting au air-tight closure with -the internal walls of the linecarrying tube C, into which the said rocket A telescopes. Consequently the air in the forward end of the line-carrying tube C iscompressed by the forward travel of the rocket A as it telescopes thereinto at the viirs'r impulse, whereby the air compressed between the rocket and The tube C acts as an' aircushion for the rocket-line, taking up the shock of the explosive fired by the explosive G, and the air is further compressed by its further entry -at the second impulse, the safety-valve K permitting the compressed air to gradually'escape.

To provide for the second impulse given to I the rocket A by the explosionof its own charge being effective in driving the saif'rocket further into the line-carrying tube C., or, in other words, to prevent the return of the rocket A after it has telescoped into the line-carrying tube O, the exterior of said rocket A is provided at suitable positions with a toothed rack a', (see Figs. 2, 3, and 5,) with which en gages a spring-controlled tooth or pawl E on the interior of the line-carrying tube 0,01' vice versa.

-The drag of the line during the flight is couveyed to the cylinder l, which is thereby drawn back over the fixed piston fm, and the air in said cylinder Z is gradually compressed, thus acting as a seeond air-cushion and preventing shock. l

Having fully described my invent-ion, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. Line-discharging and ligne-carrying apparatus comprising a gun with an enlarged muzzle prolongation, a line-carrying tube fittingsaid prolongation, wines or blade on said tube, a rocket fitting said line-carrying tube and adapted to be telescoped therein to by the firing of the explosive in the gun,v means to prevent the return of'said rocketafter it has telescoped into the line-carrying tube; washer or the like device on the rocket to compress 'the air in the line-carrying` tube, and a spring air safety-valve on the forward end of the line-carrying tube, scribed.

2. In line-discharging apparatus comprising a gun and a rocket fired therefrom by an explosive, means for-'igniting the rocket charge, consisting in a firing-tube closed at one end and open at the other end which projects through the rocket-base, and'is open to the rocket charge, said firing-tn be being charged with an explosive adapted to be fired by heat, substantially as described.

3. Line-carrying apparatus projected by an explosive from a gun, comprising a rocket fitting a 1ine-carryinl, 1,r tube and partially telescoped thereinto by the firing of the gunland further telescoped thereinto by the firing of the rocket charge, a rack on the rocket, a pawl on the line-carrying tube to prevent the return of the rocket, a washer or-like device on the forward end of the rocket air-tightly fitting the line-carrying tube, and a springcontrolled air-escape valve outhe line-carrying tube, arranged substantially as described.

4. Line-carrying apparatusprojected by anl explosive from a gun, comprising a line-carrying tube with lateral wings or blades and a vertical web; a slotted tube carried by said web, a cylinder in said slotted tube telescoping over a fixed rod or piston carried' by the web aforesaid, and a line n cured to said cylinder, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses. I. v

DANIEL GEORGE MARTENS.`

Witnesses:

F. lW. GoLBY, GEO. J. B. FRANKLIN.

loop or piece sesubstantially as dessl 

